Knitting machine and needle therefor



KNITTING MACHINE AND NEEDLE THEREFOR Filed Sept. 10, 1945 INVENTOR ALVIN SCHWARTZ BY V ATTORNEY Patented Apr. 29, 1947 KNITTING MACHINE AND NEEDLE THEREFOR Alvin Schwartz, New York, N. Y.

Applicationseptember 10, 1945, Serial No. 615,270

8 Claims.

This invention relates to warp knitting machines and to needles therefor.

The primary object of thepresent invention is to provide in or for a warp'knitting machine a spring-beard needle constructed and arranged so that the closing of the beard of the needle in the casting-01f operation is eifected by the tension of the thread on-the needle during "the operation of the knittingmachine, with th result that the presser bar for closing the beard of the needle can be eliminated whileatthe same time enabling the production of knit fabrics having the desirable characteristics of knit fabrics produced by spring-beard needles.

It will be understood that the elimination of the presser bar also results in the elimination of the actuating mechanisms therefor without the replacement of such mechanisms by other machine parts or mechanisms for closing the needles. Also, the elimination of the presser bar enables eccentrics to be used instead of cams for reciprocating the needles and for actuating the thread-guide bar or bars and the sinker bar. B-y thus eliminating the presser bar and the actuating cams, hereinbefore referred to,'the speed of operation of the knitting machine can be considerably increased.

Pursuant to the present invention, the above results are achieved in a simple way,.namely, by the construction and arrangement of the needles which enables the beards thereof to be closed by the tension of the thread supplied'to the needles from the thread guides carried by thethreadguide bar or bars. This constitutes another object of the invention.

The invention will be fully understood by those skilled in the art of knitting, from the following description considered in connection with-the accompanying illustrative drawings.

lines, the needle bein illustrated in its position at the start of its downward stroke;

Fig. 4 is a view sin'iilarto FigJSQillustrating the invention in connection with a knitting machine in which the needles reciprocate in a vertical plane, the needlebeing similarl illustrated in its position at the start of its downward stroke.

Referring now to the drawings in detail, the needle ill of the present invention comprisesthe usual shank l2 and a spring-beard M which is provided, as here shown, with a closing member 16. The closing member I6 is in fixed relation to the end I8 of spring-beard M, said beard l4 and member 118 being preferably integral with each other. Member It has one side part '20 which extends longitudinally upwardly from the end of the beard I8 to an'upper curved endportion 22 from which the other side part 24 0f said member extends longitudinally downwardly, terminating at its lower end 25 at a point preferably slightly above the lower end '18 of'beard M, i. e., near the opening'between the end N5 of the beard and the confronting portionof the needle. The upper part of needle I i) which confronts the beard M is providedwith a groove 28 to receive'the end of thebeard i4 whenthe'latter is closed in the stitch-casting off operation. As here shown, however, groove' 28, the lowerpart of'which corresponds to the beard-receiving groove of the usual needle, extends a substantial distance in the head or'beard-confronting part 3i! of the needle to a point well above the lower ends'l8 and 26 of the beard and side part 24 of beard-closing member I B, so that the lower end portion of side part 24 or member i6 is positioned in said-groove when the'beard is open,as well as when the beard is closed. It will'be understood that groove28 is deep enough to allow free movement of side part=24 of member It insaid groove, toward and away from the bottom thereof, without engagement of said part of member I6 with the bottom of'said'groove. Preferably, as here shown, the head 30 of the needle is-ol'lset-laterally from the median axial line of the needleshanklit, the lateral'cffset being preferably such thatthe center of'the-upper'part "220i member [6 is in alignment with said axial line of-the needle shank.

Figs. 3 and 4 of the drawings showa needle It in-relation to the sinker Sand towthe thread guides G-carried by the 'thread-guideibars B, respectively, of a-warp= knitting machine. it being understood that said-guide barsare mounted for .oscillationas in the usual warp knitting machine. .It will be understoodthat .while .Fig. .3,,and,,als0 Fig. 4, shows twoguidebars B, the :warp knitting machine. maybe provided with a difierentnumber.of guide bars, for example, with threegui-de barsor with onlyone. guide bar. It willbe noted that the .presser. bar usually provided for closing the spring-,-beard.of the needle for the stitch-casting operation is eliminated and that the spring- 3 beard M of the needle ill of the present invention is closed at the proper time during the downward stroke of the needle [0, by reason of the tension of the thread or threads T on actuating member It.

It will be understood that the warp knitting machine of the present invention is constructed as heretofore except that, as explained above, the presser bar for closing the beards of the needles and the mechanisms for actuating the presser bar are eliminated. Also, as a result of the present invention, eccentrics may be provided instead of the usual cams for actuating the sinker bar, the needle-carrying bar, and the yarn-guide bar or bars. It will be understood that, as in the usual warp knitting machine, the threads T extend from their respective yarn guides G along the shanks of the companion needles, in position against said shanks, respectively, to the pre-- viously knit loops of the fabric (not shown), and that said threads are in engagement with the side parts 24 of the member l6 of the companion needles. It will be understood that the tension of the thread supplied to the needles I is transmitted through the beard-closing members l6 of the needles I I], respectively, whereby to move the lower ends l8 of the beards of the needles into the grooves 28 for closing the beards of the needles in the stitch-casting off operation. It will be noted further that by reason of the fact that the side part 24 Of beard-closing member It extends a substantial distance downwardly from the upper part 22 thereof, the thread supplied to the needle from the companion yarn guide or guides G engages the beard-closing; member H5 in proper relation thereto so that the proper force acting in the proper direction is transmitted by the threads to member l6 and by the latter to the lower end [8 of the beard l4 for closing the latter.

While I have shown the preferred embodiment of my invention, it will be understood that various changes in the details of the construction and in the arrangement of parts may be made without departing from the underlying idea or principles of the invention within the scope of the appended claims.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim and desire to secure by Letters Patent is:

1. A needle for a warp knitting machine, said needle having a spring-beard and a beard-closing member operable by the tension thereon of the th'read supplied to the needle from the threadguide of the machine for closing the beard for the stitching-casting off operation, said member being in fixed relation to said beard and having a part spaced laterally of the beard and extending longitudinally of the upper beard-confronting part of the needle to a point near the opening between the lower end of the beard and. the shank of the needle.

2. A needle for a warp knitting machine, said needle having a spring-beard and a beard-closing member operable by the tension th'ereon of i the thread supplied to the needle from the threadguide of the machine for closing the beard for the stitch-casting off operation, said member being in fixed relation to said beard and having a part spaced laterally of the beard and extending longitudinally of the upper beard-confronting part ofthe needle to a point near the opening between the lower end of the beard and the shank of the needle, said upper part of the needle which confronts the beard thereof having a groove 4 into which said longitudinally extending part is movably positioned.

3. A needle for a warp knitting machine, said needle having a spring-beard and a beard-closing member operable by the tension thereon of the thread supplied to the needle from the threadguide of the machine for closing the beard for the stitch-casting ofi operation, said member being in fixed relation to said beard and having a part spaced laterally of the beard and extending longitudinally of the upper beard-confronting part of the needle to a point near the opening between the lower end of the beard and the shank of the needle, said upper part of the needle which confronts the beard thereof having a groove into which said longitudinally extending part is movably positioned, said groove extending downwardly into the shank of the needle to receive the end of the beard in the closing operation thereof.

4. A needle for awarp knitting machine, said needle having a spring-beard and a beard-closing member operable by the tension thereon of the thread supplied to the needle from the threadguide of the machine for closing the beard for the stitch-casting off operation, said member being in fixed relation to said beard and having a part spaced laterally of the beard and extend ing longitudinally of the upper beard-confronting part of the needleto a point near the opening between the lower end of the beard and the shank of the needle, said upper beard-confronting part of the needle being offset laterally from the longitudinal axis of the needle shank.

5. A needle for a warp knitting machine, said needle having a spring-beard and a beard-closing member operable by the tension thereon of the thread supplied to the needle from the threadguide of the machine for closing the heard for the stitch-casting off operation, said member being in fixed relation to said beard and having a part extending upwardly from the lower end of said beard and a part extending downwardly from the latter in position adjacent the upper beard-confronting part of the needle to a point near the opening between said end of the beard and the confronting portion of the needle.

6. A needle for a warp knitting machine, said needle having a spring-beard and a beard-closing member operable by the tension thereon of the thread supplied to the needle from the threadguide of the machine for closing the beard for the stitch-casting off operation, said member being in fixed relation to said beard and hav ing a part extending upwardly from the lower end of said beard and a part extending downwardly from the latter in position adjacent the upper beard-confronting part of the needle to a point near the opening between said end of the beard and the confronting portion of the needle, said beard-confronting part of the needle having a groove into which'said downwardly eX- tending part is movably positioned.

7. A needle for a Warp knitting machine, said needle having arspring-beard and a beard-closing member operable by the tension thereon of the thread supplied to the needle from the threadguide of the machine for closing the heard for the stitch-casting, oif operation, said member being in fixed relation'to said beard and having a part extending upwardly from the lower end of said beard and a part extending downwardly from the latter in position adjacent the upper beard-confronting part of the needle to a point near the opening between said end of the beard and the confronting portion of the needle, said beard-confronting part of the needle having a groove into which said downwardly extending part is movably positioned, said groove extending downwardly into the shank of the needle to 5 6 beard and extending longitudinally of the upper beard-confronting part of the needle to a point near the opening between the lower end of the beard and the shank of the needle.

ALVIN SCHWARTZ.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 287,175 Salisbury Oct. 23, 1883 2,333,697 Boaler et a1. Nov. 9, 1943 

